Combined shelf and color selector



Jan. 3, 1967 OTTMAN 3,295,690

COMBINED SHELF AND COLOR SELECTOR Filed Feb. 24, 1965 2 Sheets$heet l fl iNVENTOR 4. JOHN B. OTI'TMAN M 3 -Q M -t;

ATTORN EY Jan. 3, 1967 J. B. OTTMAN 3,295,590

COMBINED SHELF AND COLOR SELECTOR Filed Feb. 24, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w 1111111111111111 \liln. m M 1 T Wm Q i? lllll ll W N T 111111111111111111 1x 11!{| E. m R\ L MB w I 1 i l l I l I i I l I I 1 I i i l |I|| N M A H 0 J States Patent @fifice 3,295,690 Patented Jan. 3, 1967 are Filed Feb. 24, 1965. Ser. No. 434,807 9 Claims. (Cl. 21149) This invention relates to a combined shelf organizer and color (or shade) selector for hair coloring. More particularly, it relates to devices of this character which are designed to serve the combined purposes of storaging and displaying prepackaged hair coloring preparations, as well as providing means by which the user may select for purchase at the site of the display the particular hair coloring package or packages necessary to obtain a certain desired color.

Hair coloring preparations for home use are widely sold in different types of self-service retail establishments. In this form of marketing, a variety of prepackaged hair color preparations, each designed to give a different color and usually identified by a name or number are displayed for the sale on the store shelves. In addition, some form of color selector is loosely hung on a nail or otherwise. positioned haphazardly in some other manner in the vicinity of the display, so as to enable the potential user to select for purchase at the site of the display the package or packages of hair coloring preparations that would give the desired color.

Color selectors of the above-mentioned type usually take the form of a folded card or booklet on which the subjects natural hair color may be located. In addition, the various colors that may be obtained through the use of each hair color shade preparation involved often appears in the selector. Lastly, they usually designate the color results from using, on different natural hair colors, the various shades of hair color preparations involved.

. These prior art types of systems present many disadvantages. They cannot be permanently attached to the display in such a way as not to interfere with the merchandise on the adjacent shelves. If permanently attached to said display, materials on adjacent shelves are obscured because of the large size and bulky character of these selectors. Moreover, in their use articles on adjacent shelves are readily knocked over by the swinging of these selectors which are suspended on strings or wires. Furthermore, said color selectors are likely to be caught in the clothes of someone passing the display.

As a consequence, the prior art color selectors are, generally, physically separated from the display. Sooner or later they become misplaced or lost and much of the time they are not located next to the hair color preparations to which they pertain.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a combined shelf and color selector useful for storing and selecting hair coloring preparations that is relatively economical to construct and easy for the consumer to employ in self-service color selection,

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a combined shelf organizer and color selector for hair coloring preparations useful for storing prepackaged hair coloring preparations in an organized manner and in selecting for the appropriate preparation.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a combined shelf organizer and color selector for segregating the different shades of hair coloring preparations in an orderly fashion to aid the consumer and for enabling the consumer to select the formula and instructions for mixing hair coloring preparations together to get the desired shade.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device of the above character which avoids the disadvantages of prior art systems designed for the same use hair coloring intended purpose.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a device of the above character wherein the color selector may not be readily separated from the display of the hair coloring preparations offered for sale and at the same time does not obscure or otherwise interfere with other materials or displays in the same vicinity or interfere with trade restocking or consumer buying from the shelf on which the hair color shades are displayed, nor on the shelf above, below or adjacent to it.

Other and more detailed objects will be apparent from the following description and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a device embodied in the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is another perspective view of the device shown in FIGURE 1 illustrating the use of the selector device encompassed in this invention;

FIGURE 3 is still another perspective view of the device shown in FIGURE 1 partly in section, the view being a close-up to show the detail more clearly;

FIGURE 4 is a broken front elevational view of the device shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in FIGURE 4 taken along line 5-5.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals represent the same structure in the various. views, the combined shelf organizer and color selector is shown generally at 1. This comprises a base 3 and a front panel 5. In the modification of this invention shown in the drawings, front panel 5 is made integral with base 3 as best seen in FIGURE 5.

Extending upwardly from base 3 and rearwa-rdly of front panel 5 and at right angles thereto, there is provided a plurality of divider panels 7. These are preferably also made integral with base 3 and front panel 5. Divider panels 7 serve to divide base .3 into a plurality of channel storage spaces 9. Channel storage spaces 9 function as storage spaces and means for displaying for sales prepackaged hair coloring preparations.

It should be understood that base 3 need not necessarily constitute an element which is separate and distinct from the shelf on which it rests but may in fact be the shelf itself. In this event grooves could be cut in the upper surface of the shelves into which may be fitted the divider panels 7. In this case, the front panel 5 would be secured to the shelf which also serves as the base of the device. For the purposes of clarity the drawings show only one package 11 of hair coloringpreparation. It is to be understood, however, that in ordinary use all of the channel storage spaces 9 will be stocked with prepackaged hair coloring preparations. Moreover, each channel storage space 9 will be stocked with a different shade (or color) of hair coloring preparation.

Disposed on front panel 5 are a plurality of hair color designating means. In the modification of this invention shown in the drawings, this takes the form of a hair color designating panel 13 on which is imprinted a series of colored pictures of female heads 15, each having different colored hair. Each of the female heads is positioned on color panel 13 so that when said color panel 13 is mounted on front panel 5 each head is positioned in front of a channel storage space 9. Moreover, the packaged hair coloring preparation that is stored in any one channel storage space 9 is related to the hair color of the female head appearing on color panel 13 in front of said channel. These are related in that the hair coloring preparation of one channel storage space when applied to white hair will give the color of the female head located on color panel 13 in front of said channel storage space.

Color panel 13 may be mounted on front panel 5 in any suitable fashion. Thus, for example, it may be glued to front panel 5. Also, obviously, color panel 13 may be done away with and the colored female heads could be printed directly on front panel 5.

Hingedly mounted near the bottom of front panel 5 are a plurality of elongated hair color indicating cards 19. These are mounted by means of fixed rings 21 or other hinging devices which are secured to front panel 5 in any suitable manner. Cards 19 are provided with slits 23 which enable them to ride over rings 21. The horizontal dimension of cards 19 is generally co-extensive with front panel 5, i.e., as long as or almost as long as front panel 5.

The Vertical dimension of cards 19 are smaller than that of the front panel 5 and are designed so that when they are flipped up they do not cover female heads 15. Furthermore, the vertical dimension of cards 19 is such that in their down position they do not extend substantially below shelf 17 and into the intershelf space.

At the left side of each hair color indicating card 19, there is imprinted a colored picture of a female head 25 having colored hair. Collectively the female heads 25 on all cards 19 serve as a means by which the user can locate her natural hair color. The remainder of each card is divided into sections 27 which correspond in horizontal dimensions to about the size female heads 15 appearing on hair color panel 13. Imprinted in each of sections 27 is the formula for obtaining the hair color on female head panel 13 which lies behind the respective section.

In use the combined shelf organizer and color selector is positioned on a shelf 17 as shown in FIGURE 1. The organizer is then stocked with prepackaged hair coloring preparations. The preparation placed in each of the channel storage spaces 9 are those which when applied to white hair will give the color of the female head 15 on color panel 13 which is in front of the respective channel spaces 9.

The user then flips through the cards 19 by turning them upwardly as indicated in FIGURE 2 and notes the various colors on the female heads 25 on these cards. From among female heads 25 the user selects a color which corresponds to the natural hair color of the subject. Having selected the appropriate card 19, the user reads across hair color panel 13 until the female head 15 of the desired color is reached. The user then reads downwardly, on the corresponding card section 27, the appropriate formula for the desired result. The formulas will indicate which package or packages of prepackages hair coloring preparations are to be used and other pertinent information.

The combined shelf organizer and color (or shade) selector for hair coloring of the present invention may be made of any suitable material or combinations thereof. Thus, it may be constructed of wood, metal, plastic, cardboard, wire, etc. or combinations thereof.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific forms thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A combined shelf and color selector for hair coloring comprising a base; a front panel extending upwardly from said base; a plurality of hair color designating means disposed on said front panel; a plurality of hingedly mounted card means disposed adjacent said front panel and adapted to be flipped upwardly without totally obscuring said hair color designating means, said card means being provided with means for locating a subjects natural hair color and for locating the formula necessary to change said subjects natural hair color to a desired color selected from said hair color designating means.

2. A device according to claim 1 including a plurality of divider means extending rearwardly of said front panel and forming a plurality of storage spaces for hair coloring preparations, each of said hair color designating means being positioned in front of one of said storage spaces.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein said card means is hingedly mounted near the bottom of said front panel.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein said hair color designating means comprises a plurality of colored pictures depicting different hair colors.

5. A device according to claim 1 comprising a movable unit capable of being placed on and removed from a shelf.

6. A device according to claim 1 wherein said front panel has a long and short side, and said card means comprises elongated cards Whose long sides are generally co-extensive with the long side of said front panel.

7. A combined shelf organizer for prepackaged hair coloring preparations and color selector for hair coloring adapted to be positioned on a tier of vertically spaced shelves comprising a base; an elongated front panel having a relatively long horizontal dimension and a relatively short vertical dimension with respect to the distance between said shelves, said front panel being secured to and extending upwardly of said base; a plurality of divider panels extending rearwardly of said front panel and substantially at right angles thereto and forming together with said base and said front panel a plurality of channel storage spaces for a plurality of packages of said prepackaged hair coloring preparations; a plurality of hair color designating means positioned on said front panel, each of said hair color designating means being positioned in front of one said channel storage spaces and indicating the color that said hair preparation disposed in the respective spaces would impart when applied to white hair; a plurality of elongated cards hingedly mounted adjacent the bottom of said front panel, said cards having a horizontal dimension which is generally co-extensive with the horizontal dimension of said front panel, the vertical dimension of said cards being smaller than the vertical dimension of said front panel, whereby said cards may be flipped upwardly to cover only partially said front panel without covering said hair color designating means and whereby the cards in their down position do not extend substantially into the intershelf space; said cards being provided with color indicator means from which the user can select the subjects existing natural hair color, said cards being further provided with formulas positioned in line with said hair color designating means on said front panels, said formulas being designed to change the subjects hair from its natural color found in the color indicator means to the desired color selected on the hair color designating means in lie with said formula.

cards.

UNITED References Cited by the Examiner STATES PATENTS Lodwick 35-28.5

Palaith 211153 Wilds 4010 Dickson 211-49 Vos et a1. 312-71 References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS Fletcher et a1. Johnson. Mendelsohn. Meyers. Eckstein et al. Fowlds.

FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

15 K. J. WINGERT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. COMBINED SHELF AND COLOR SELECTOR FOR HAIR COLORING COMPRISING A BASE; A FRONT PANEL EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BASE; A PLURALITY OF HAIR COLOR DESIGNATING MEANS DISPOSED ON SAID FRONT PANEL; A PLURALITY OF HINGEDLY MOUNTED CARD MEANS DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID FRONT PANEL AND ADAPTED TO BE FLIPPED UPWARDLY WITHOUT TOTALLY OBSCURING SAID HAIR COLOR DESIGNATING MEANS, SAID CARD MEANS BEING PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR LOCATING A SUBJECT''S NATURAL HAIR COLOR AND FOR LOCATING THE FORMULA NECESSARY TO CHANGE SAID SUBJECT''S NATURAL HAIR COLOR TO A DESIRED COLOR SELECTED FROM SAID HARI COLOR DESIGNATING MEANS. 